Research articlePhysical Activity in Men and Women with Arthritis: National Health Interview Survey, 2002
Introduction
Arthritis, the leading cause of disability in the United States,1 affected 43 million U.S. adults in 2002.2 This imposes an enormous economic burden, with total costs attributable to arthritis in 1997 estimated at $86 billion.3 Among those with arthritis, physical inactivity can contribute to deconditioning, impaired function, poor mental health, and an increased risk of obesity. A recent 2-year longitudinal study found that older adults with arthritis who did not engage in regular vigorous activity were twice as likely to experience functional decline as those who did.4 In addition, inactive adults have higher medical costs than those who are regularly active.5
Both strength training6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and aerobic exercise16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 have been shown to benefit people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, significantly decreasing pain while delaying disability and improving gait and function; other physical and psychological benefits have been reported in patients with fibromyalgia32 and systemic lupus erythematosus.33 Although studies have generally found that low-to-moderate–intensity physical activity does not worsen arthritis symptoms or disease activity,6, 23, 24, 26, 34, 35 increasing physical activity in this population has been challenging, in part because of continued misconceptions about the potential harm to joints and concerns about increased pain.36, 37
Physical activity is one of the major non-pharmacologic interventions for managing arthritis,38, 39 and physical activity is a focus area in Healthy People 2010 (HP2010).40 The purpose of this study is to conduct a secondary data analysis of a national data set to: (1) determine the national prevalence of various levels of leisure-time physical activity in adults with and without arthritis that are consistent with recommendations in HP2010 and recommendations of a 2002 national panel of experts in arthritis and physical activity,41 and (2) identify sociodemographic and other factors associated with physical inactivity in adults with arthritis to better identify those who might be at greater need for intervention.
Section snippets
Data Sources
Data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed in 2004–2005. The NHIS is an ongoing, national household interview survey designed to represent the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population and uses a multistage, complex sampling design.42 The response rate for the sample adult component (18 years and older) in 2002 was 74.3% (n=31,044).43
Definition of Arthritis
Doctor-diagnosed arthritis (n=6829), hereafter called arthritis, was defined by a “yes” response to “Have you ever been told by
Results
Compared to adults without arthritis, adults with arthritis were more likely to be older, female, non-Hispanic white, less educated, obese, have frequent anxiety/depression, have one or more functional or social limitations, need special equipment, have one or more comorbid conditions, and not be meeting HP2010 physical activity recommendations or the recommendation of an expert panel on arthritis41 (Table 1).
After age adjustment, the percentages of adults with and without arthritis who were
Discussion
These findings are the first report of physical activity levels among adults with and without arthritis using a national data source and a validated arthritis case definition. Despite substantial evidence showing that physical activity benefits people with arthritis, adults with arthritis are significantly less likely than adults without arthritis to be meeting HP2010 recommendations for moderate or vigorous physical activity, and overall physical activity levels in adults with arthritis remain
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